


Many Happy Returns

by alba17



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Birthday, Birthday Presents, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-07
Updated: 2014-07-07
Packaged: 2018-02-07 21:07:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1913889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alba17/pseuds/alba17
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For prompt at fic_promptly on Dreamwidth: Avengers - Steve - it feels wrong to celebrate his birthday, considering how many he's lost while under the ice</p>
            </blockquote>





	Many Happy Returns

“Surprise!”

Steve took in the pile of gifts on his dining room table and the gleeful smiles of Natasha and Sam. His heart sank. 

“Come on, open one,” Natasha said. “Which do you want first? How about the big one there?” She pointed to a large, square box done up in red and silver striped paper topped with a shiny bow as big as Steve’s head.

Sam pushed her arm aside. “If I were you, I’d pick that one.” He indicated a small, tastefully wrapped box, black and grey. “You know the best things come in small packages, right?”

“Don’t flatter yourself, Sam,” Natasha scoffed.

Steve put his hands up. “Guys, guys. Can we just take a minute?” He rubbed his forehead. “I think I, uh, need to, uh...well, I need a moment to myself.” He started to back out of the room into the hall that lead to his bedroom. “I’m sorry, it’s just…I can’t explain right now. Just wait, okay?”

He ignored Natasha and Sam’s hurt faces, rushed into the bedroom and sat heavily on the bed. This was more than he could take, the sudden rush of emotion that always came when people tried to celebrate his birthday. There was something about it that didn’t sit right. Because he knew it was all wrong. _He_ was wrong. For the most part, he reveled in his differences and how they enabled him to help the world, help his country. But sometimes he felt a little too different. He’d lost so many years under the ice and he was still adjusting to this new world. He knew his friends cared about him, but they couldn’t possibly understand. 

He remembered a time long ago when things were clearly defined, the world was more black and white, good and evil easily discernible. Captain America was born in a different era. It was more complicated now and sometimes the role he’d been cast in didn’t always fit so well. It was at such moments that he thought about disappearing and simply being Steve Rogers. Or at least trying to figure out who Steve Rogers was, because he wasn’t sure he even knew.

There was one person who might understand these feelings, but he’d disappeared and Steve hadn’t been able to find him yet. Maybe one day. 

He gave himself a mental slap, gathered his thoughts and went back out. He went to the kitchen first, poured himself a glass of ice water and drank it down. Then he returned to the living room. Natasha and Sam were sitting on the sofa, talking quietly. Natasha lept up as soon as she saw Steve.

“Everything okay?” She rubbed his arm.

“Yeah. I’m sorry, guys. Birthdays kind of do a number on me and you surprised me. It’s hard to explain, but hey, I guess I’m just old, right? One more year under the belt.” He laughed awkwardly.

“Er, yeah, dude,” Sam said with a raised eyebrow. “Listen, we don’t have to do the gift thing. We can just put these away, save them for another day, I don’t know what. You wanna just go out for burgers or a beer?”

Steve looked at the gifts again. It was clear that they’d put in a lot of effort. He didn’t want to disappoint his friends with his stupid “issues,” as they called it nowadays. “We can do that later.” He grabbed the big gift from Natasha and shook it. “I think I’ll start with this one.” He put his ear up to it. “I don’t hear any ticking.”

Natasha swatted him. “You’re an idiot.”

Steve laughed, full-throated this time, and began ripping the paper off. Maybe it was about time he start to enjoy his birthdays. It wasn’t everyone who was lucky enough to have as many of them as he’d had, after all.


End file.
